The North Face Endurance Challenge Series Commits to Going “Cupless”
The North America Races Series Transitions to Reusable Cups to Reduce Waste and Environmental Impact
Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+.
Alameda, CA – May 16, 2018 – The North Face today announced a commitment to eliminate disposable cups for its Endurance Challenge Series events. In an effort to reduce waste over the series of 5 races, Hydrapak has been named as the official hydration sponsor of the series and will provide reusable Hydrapak Speedcups™ to runners to use in place of disposable cups through the series.
The Endurance Challenge Series has dispensed approximately 140,000 cups per year across its five races, and The North Face is eager to reduce the environmental impact by adopting the use of a re-useable hydration solution. Each registered runner will receive a lightweight and collapsible Hydrapak Speedcup to re-use at aid stations. Aid stations will remain fully staffed and stocked to keep runners fueled and hydrated throughout the races.
“We are constantly looking to encourage sustainability beyond our operations as we design and execute brand experiences for customers and fans alike,” said James Rogers, Director of Sustainability. “Reducing our environmental impact in the ECS is an important step, not only are we reducing waste with reusable cups, but we’re helping educate runners and other event hosts about different environmental impacts.”
The trend for cupless racing is prominent across Europe and a growing movement in North America to minimize debris and offer faster, more efficient aid stations. The first 2018 Endurance Challenge kicks off in Washington, D.C. on April 28, followed by races in New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and California. For a full race schedule please visit thenorthface.com/endurancechallengeseries.
“We designed the SpeedCup when we saw how much waste was being generated at aid stations during races,” said Morgan Makowski, Director of Marketing at HydraPak. “We’re excited to be partnering with The North Face ECS, which will be our largest cupless partnership in the world, to continue to reduce waste among the trail running community.”
Waste from single-use cups and plastic bottles is something The North Face is committed to minimizing. Earlier this month the brand announced a new collection of t-shirts and tote bags made from cotton and recycled plastic bottles collected from the waste streams of several national parks. One dollar ($1) from each product in the Bottle Source collection will go back to the parks through the National Park Foundation to support sustainability projects. The Bottle Source program has already gathered more than 160,000 lbs of plastic bottles from the waste streams of Yosemite, Grand Teton, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks.
About The North Face®
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. Today we are the world’s leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. We protect our outdoor playgrounds and minimize our impact on the planet through programs that encourage sustainability. The North Face products are available at premium and specialty retail sporting goods stores globally and we are headquartered in California on a LEED Platinum-certified campus. For more information, please visit www.thenorthface.com.
About HydraPak®
Pushing boundaries to redefine the future of hydration, HydraPak creates innovative solutions that stand up to the harshest environments. Easy-to-use and highly functional, every HydraPak product showcases the technical manufacturing expertise that has distinguished the company for nearly two decades. By offering a better way to hydrate, and continually seeking to refine its offerings, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for dozens of major OEMs. These renowned global brands integrate HydraPak’s proprietary designs and technologies into their hydration products for recreational, athletic and military use. For more information, please visit www.hydrapak.com.
###
